Carlson says the goal is to build endurance for your heart and muscles to make solo runs easier.

“You got Andrew and Antonio who have their resumes that’s hard to match in this town,” runner Dan Murphy said. “There’s just a lot of good experience you don’t find everywhere else .”

After 10 hills, we made it.

“Anybody can be a runner and that’s why we have different levels for different people,” Carlson said.

Carlson says the best tip for a beginner runner is to be consistent. He says joining a local running group will help hold you accountable. And the views of the Mississippi beat the treadmill any day.

“Running by yourself can be a really mentally nice experience, but doing this type of speed work and hills with people and having the comradery just brings out the best athlete in everyone,” Carlson said.

If you aren’t ready to run, they also have a walking group.

Mill City Running just opened in July and the store also hosts a more traditional group run on Fridays. For more information, click here.